Bachmann releases faith endorsement list

It's not news that Michele Bachmann's pitch to Iowa voters leans heavily on her evangelical faith. She's been speaking in a different Iowa church every Sunday on the campaign trail, giving a nonpolitical, highly personal faith testimonial. The effectiveness of that pitch was clear Friday as her campaign released a list of "more than 100 Iowa Pastors and Faith Leaders."

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The clergy on the list aren't the Bob Vander Plaatses and Steve Schefflers of the world — they're not recognizable in political circles and most don't appear to have an activist background. But the sheer number of them speaks to the appeal Bachmann has with this group, and the influence they probably have in their communities could be a powerful advantage for her.

There's also a bit of an inside-outside strategy going on here: While Bachmann's stump speech and paid ads focus almost exclusively on her economic views, the social conservatism that launched her career is a strong undercurrent.

From the release:

Many of the evangelical leaders offered support after hearing her testimony and witnessing how her faith guides her strong leadership on critical issues such as marriage, life, and the overbearing impact of government policies on the family.

"Michele has a long track record of standing firm on and fighting for conservative issues on the local, state and national level," said Pastor Brad Sherman in his endorsement. "She has been in the battle for decades and has shown that her core values are non-negotiable in political storms. She has earned her claim to having a 'titanium spine' on the issues we care most about."

"Michele has fearlessly taken a stand for life and traditional marriage, while championing fiscally conservative legislation," said Pastor Brad Cranston, "In the area of foreign policy she has proven herself to be a friend of Israel and an advocate of a strong national defense, focused first and foremost on protecting the vital interests of the United States."